This invention relates to a hot air dryer suitable for use in drying garments such as mittens, shoes, boots, and the like, an in particular to such an apparatus that is capable of simultaneously drying two pairs of garments such as shoes and boots with a uniform air flow and through the use of interchangeable garment supports.
The utilization of hot air dryers to dry garments such as shoes, boots, gloves, mittens, and the like is a well-known technology. Many of the prior art garment drying apparatus are designed to accommodate only one type of garment, for example, shoes, or mittens, or boots. Likewise, many of the prior garment drying apparatus could only accommodate drying one pair of garments at any one time. Even those dryers that were designed to accommodate the drying of more than one pair of garments at one time were not designed to provide a uniform air flow to each of the pairs of garments.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment drying apparatus which can accommodate simultaneous drying of more than one pair of garments while providing a substantially uniform air flow to each of the pairs of garments being dried.
The foregoing object and other objects of the present invention are attained in a garment drying apparatus comprising a housing forming a base. Openings are provided in the base and a fan is mounted in the base for drawing air through the openings. A heater is mounted in the base for warming the air drawn through the openings by the fan. Air ducting walls mounted in the base direct a portion of the warm air in a first flow path and the remaining portion of the warm air in a second flow path. The first and second flow paths are disposed in substantially diametrically opposed directions within the base. The housing further includes a top wall for covering the base. The top wall includes vent openings aligned with distal ends of each of the first and second flow paths. At least two garment supports are mounted on the top surface of the top wall and are pivotable between a first position where a support is aligned substantially horizontally in a stowed position on the top wall and a second position where the support is substantially upright relative to the top wall. Each of the supports include vent openings alignable with the vent openings in the top wall when the supports are in the upright positions. Further, each of the supports includes a wall alignable with the vent openings in the top wall when the supports are in the stowed position to close air flow through the top wall vent openings. Each of the supports include discharge openings for the warm air.
The object of the invention is further attained in a garment drying apparatus including a housing forming a base; openings are formed in the base; and a fan is mounted in the base for drawing air through the openings. A heater is mounted in the base for warming the air drawn through the openings by the fan. A wall covers the base and includes vent openings for the warm air produced in the base. At least one garment support comprising a rigid structure is mounted on the top surface of the wall and is moveable to a first position where the support is substantially upright relative to the wall. The support includes vent openings alignable with the vent openings in the wall when the support is in the upright position. The garment support is selectively removable from the top wall for replacement by a second support comprising a flexible tube.